KALANGALA: The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has set its sights on securing more than 70 percent of the vote in the forthcoming Kalangala District Woman Member of Parliament by-election as party leaders intensify grassroots mobilisation across the island district.
Speaking after meeting women leaders in Mugoye Sub-county on Saturday, NRM Director for Mobilisation Rosemary Sseninde expressed confidence that the ruling party’s candidate, Idah Nabayiga, will emerge victorious, citing strong support from voters and sustained mobilisation efforts by party structures.
“We are targeting not less than 70 percent,” Sseninde said. “Any person would say I would want 100 percent, although it can never be. But of course we are targeting not less than 70 percent.”
Sseninde said the party’s confidence is based on the work already done by mobilisation teams that have been traversing communities across Kalangala ahead of the by-election.
“We have mobilised the people and I want to thank my colleagues who have been on the ground,” she said. “We have worked with the leaders and I want to thank the people of Kalangala for the cooperation and coordination that has enabled us to have the hope that we are going to win this election.”
She added that NRM leaders are optimistic that the party will register a decisive victory and strengthen its political dominance in the district.
As part of the campaign strategy, Sseninde said the party has been engaging women leaders at various levels to encourage them to mobilise voters and turn out in large numbers for both the election and President Yoweri Museveni’s campaign rally scheduled for Monday.
“We have been meeting women leaders because it is important. We know women are always very active in going for elections,” she said. “We have been mobilising the women leaders to make sure that they mobilise the women they lead in the villages to go and vote and also attend the President’s rally on Monday.”
She urged voters to support leaders who can work closely with the government to advance development programmes rather than elect representatives who would oppose government initiatives.
Sseninde also used the meeting to encourage women leaders to educate communities about government wealth-creation programmes, particularly the Parish Development Model (PDM), saying many eligible beneficiaries miss out on support because they lack information.
“It is important for us to keep enlightening them and guiding them on how they can be able to access this support,” she said.
Faridah Kibowa, the Chairperson National Women’s Council who also attended the meeting said women of Kalangala need a leader who will work closely with the various government departments and bring the share of the cake home.
She said the women had previously been not sensitized well and had now agree to rally behind Nabayiga.
